


A third of life is passed in sleep

by BookGirlFan



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: 5+1 Things, Gen, Literal Sleeping Together, Sleeping Together, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7801480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookGirlFan/pseuds/BookGirlFan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>aka, Five people who don't want to room with Reid, and one who never did</p>
            </blockquote>





	A third of life is passed in sleep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [luvtheheaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvtheheaven/gifts).



> These aren't in chronological order, though I do have one in mind if anyone is interested. Also, I'm Aussie. Neither Americanisms nor Britishisms come naturally. If I have terminology wrong, please tell me so I can do better next time! 
> 
> This is gifted to the amazing luvtheheaven, who has been an inspiration to me. Thank you for all your help!

_One_

"Reid. Hey, Reid. Wake up, man." Morgan reached over to try and shake the younger man awake, but hesitated, his hand hovering over Reid's shoulder. Maybe he should leave the kid alone, if he really was that tired that he wasn't waking up to Morgan's prompting. He knew from previous times they'd roomed together that Reid was usually a light sleeper, woken up by something as simple a someone entering the room, and if he wasn't waking up now, he must really be exhausted. 

Decided, Morgan slumped back over to his side of the bed. As awkward as it was, the small town their current case was in only had four one-bed rooms available, the rest of their meagre amount of rooms filled out by a wedding party. Thus, Morgan had ended up sharing a bed with Reid. Shivering in the cool night air, he vowed to himself that it would never happen again. Who knew the kid was such a blanket hog? 

 

_Two_

JJ jolted out of sleep, eyes wide and breath heaving before reality could catch up to her. Relaxing slightly as she realised it was only a dream, she subconsciously glanced at the other side of the bed, remembering only as she did it that Will was away for the night investigating a case. Even if it was just for the night, she missed him, and the ready comfort she needed after one of her infrequent nightmares. 

Senses still somewhat on the alert after her abrupt awakening, a slight noise from downstairs had her tensing immediately. Maybe someone had snuck into the house. Some people might think that was paranoid, for her thoughts to immediately jump to intruder, but she had seen far too many cases where it was true for her to care whether it was paranoid. 

She got out of bed and crept down the stairs, hefting a heavy flashlight in one hand. Paranoid or not, she was not going down there unarmed. 

She rounded the corner, the living room now in sight. Almost instantly, JJ relaxed. Through her post-nightmare nerves, she'd forgotten that Reid had crashed on her couch, having coming home with her to see Henry after a difficult case, the same one that had likely prompted her nightmare. 

Thinking now, she frowned. Maybe she wasn't the only one having nightmares after the horror story that had been their latest case. Reid seemed restless, tossing back and forth on the couch and mumbling softly. That was probably the sound that had caused her to come downstairs in the first place. 

A pattering of little feet told her she wasn't the only one who had been woken by Reid's mutterings. She looked down, and Henry's big blue eyes met her, his unsettled nerves apparent in his frequent glances towards the living room. "Mommy?" 

She pulled Henry closer, smoothing down his hair with the hand not holding the flashlight. "Shh, Henry, it's okay. Go back to bed now." 

Her son nodded trustingly, turning around and trudging back up the stairs, rubbing sleepily at his eyes. JJ watched him until he turned the corner, then turned back towards the living room. Reid was still asleep, curling up on the lounge in a way that belied his six foot one frame, making him seem small. She walked carefully into the room, trying not to wake him. His muttered sounds grew louder as she grew closer, until, crouched down beside him, she could almost, but not quite, make out some words. 

"Spence," she said softly. "Spence, you're having a nightmare. Wake up." She touched his arm gently, trying to wake him. 

Her actions were having the opposite effect than intended. Instead of waking up, Reid quietened, his mumblings decreasing. JJ hesitated, then mentally shrugged. As long as he could get some sleep, that's what mattered.

She stretched, moving out of her crouched position, and carefully sat on the lounge beside Reid, trying not to jostle him. In the short time it took her, Reid had started to mumble again, his nightmare obviously returning. She stroked a hand through his hair, fingers tangling in the curls. "Shh, Spence. Just a dream." His muttering softened, then stopped completely, tension easing out of his body as he relaxed into a dreamless sleep. 

JJ kept running her hand through his hair, over and over, idly marvelling at the softness. The rhythmic gesture was soothing, and gradually, her eyes slipped shut, her hand stilling as she followed Reid into sleep. 

_Three_

Hotch held back a sigh. It was two in the morning, they'd only left the station an hour ago, and he really wanted to get some sleep before they flew out in the morning. Later in the morning. None of those were, in themselves, problems. The problem was, Reid wouldn't sleep. 

Due to an administrative error, he and Reid had both been booked into the same room. By the time they'd figured out what had happened, everyone else was already settled in, so he'd told Reid they would be gone in the morning, and until then, it would be fine. Reid had seemed uncomfortable, but agreed. 

The room had two beds, so that wasn't an issue. Hotch just wished that Reid would actually sleep in his. Instead, he was sitting on the other bed, reading a book, the flick of turning pages a near constant noise. Hotch briefly contemplated pulling his pillow over his head, but decided that would be far too immature. Instead, he called lowly, "Reid?" 

Instantly the flicking stopped. "Yeah, Hotch?" 

"Go to sleep." 

"Oh, right. Sorry. I didn't mean to keep you awake." Hotch heard a soft thump, _probably of Reid's book being placed on the nightstand_ , he profiled subconsciously, then the light went out. Hotch relaxed, finally able to go to sleep. 

Then Reid moved. 

Hotch tried to ignore it. 

Reid moved again. Then again. Hotch continued ignoring it, frustration and tiredness building up, until finally he snapped. "Reid, stop moving!" 

Reid's voice, floating contritely from across the room. "Sorry." The movements stopped, though Hotch could tell from his breathing that Reid hadn't fallen asleep. In the morning, Hotch knew, he would feel bad about snapping at Reid, but for now, he just needed to _sleep_. 

It might have been two minutes, it might have been ten, but Reid stayed mercifully quiet, Hotch falling into a state of drowsy sleepiness. When Reid did finally move, it was near silent. Only the subtle swoosh of bare feet on carpet, followed by the click of the door opening and closing, gave away the fact that Reid had left the room. Hotch, too tired and too sleepy to care, let it go. Reid was an adult, and despite his propensity for finding trouble, he could do what he liked, including wandering around the hotel. 

Still, when Hotch inched his eyelids open enough to look out through his eyelashes at the room, the gap in the light coming through from under the door, the kind of gap that might come if a person was sitting there reading a book, and the small spurt of relief that came with it was enough for him to close his eyes again and finally, _finally_ , drift off to sleep. 

 

_Four_

Rossi tossed and turned, sending his best glare to the occupant of the bed on the other side of the room. Due to an unlucky draw, he was stuck rooming with Reid, and had already decided he never wanted to do it again. 

The light from Reid's bedside lamp was spearing across the room, through his closed eyelids, and directly into his defenceless eyeballs, like a million fiery arrows. Growling softly, he threw one arm over his eyes. Nope, still too bright. 

Across the room, Reid turned to one side, bringing his face into view. Eyes closed, face serene, he looked to be having a wonderful sleep. Rossi kind of wanted to kill him for it. Despite the fact that asleep, Reid looked even younger than usual, he was still an adult. What kind of adult needed a nightlight? 

That decided him. The kid was twenty six, he didn't need to be babied. He pushed back the covers and got out of the bed. Tramping softly across the room, he carefully switched off the bedside lamp, not willing to disturb Reid. He was new to the team, but it was easy to see how protective they were of their youngest agent. Still, at the moment, he would risk their wrath if it meant a good night's sleep at last, with the lights firmly off. 

Walking back to his own bed, his foot slipped on a shirt, carelessly left lying about. He cursed. This was the last time he would be rooming with Dr Reid!

 

_Five_

Something was beeping. Why was something beeping? 

Garcia covered her hands with her ears, struggling mightily to stay asleep even as the beeping noise pulled her back to consciousness. Finally, the noise stopped, and with a happy sigh, Garcia relaxed back into sleep. 

The beeping started again. Louder. Garcia turned over, trying to escape the noise, hands still firmly over her ears. Her face hit the back of a couch . "What?" 

Obviously getting back to sleep was not an option. 

Garcia opened her eyes, and found herself staring at a familiar pattern. This was one of the couches in the BAU office. 

Immediately, she shot up right. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, frantically feeling around for her glasses. "I never fall asleep during a case, never!" How could she have fallen asleep? The team was depending on her, how could she let them down? 

Her fingers finally found her glasses, and she jammed them on. 

It all came back to her. She hadn't let the team down; they had finished their case, and were flying back in the morning. Everything had wrapped up here, but it was late - or really, early - so she had crashed on one of the Bureau couches, along with Reid, who still hadn't been cleared for travel after being shot. 

One question remained, and it made itself known, loudly. What was that beeping?

Now she had her glasses on, she could see that it was coming from a phone on the table in front of her, the table between her couch and the adjacent one. The table Reid had left his phone on. With the alarm set. 

She slammed her finger onto the screen, turning the alarm off and finally stopping the noise. Furiously, she turned towards the other lounge...but it was empty. That didn't slow her down in the slightest. 

Garcia stormed through the office, feet bare and make up smudged, and almost ran into Reid coming up from the bullpen. 

"Reid," she asked, deadly quiet building to a shriek, "why did I wake up to an _alarm_ set _ridiculously early _right after we solved a _major case_?!"__

__"I'm sorry, Garcia!" he babbled, eyes wide. "I woke up too early and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up to get coffee and forgot to turn off my alarm! I'm really sorry it woke you, I was just going to turn it off now."_ _

__Reid limped heavily past her into the office, and Garcia headed over to the kitchenette. If she was up now, she needed coffee. Fortunately for him, Reid had left some coffee in the pot. Maybe she'd let him live. Still, she reflected, there was no way she was ever sharing a room with him again!_ _

__

_And One_

__"Spencer," a voice called softly. Reid turned over, and there was Maeve beside him, smiling gently, hair fanned out over the pillow._ _

__He smiled instinctively. "Good morning."_ _

__Maeve propped herself upon one elbow, dark hair falling like a curtain behind her, and kissed Reid on the cheek. "Morning, sleepyhead." She fell back on the pillow, their faces inches apart. "We probably shouldn't have talked so late last night. You need to work today."_ _

__"I'd rather stay with you." His eyes met hers, and stayed. A ray of sunlight fell between them, illuminating the strands of her hair and the flecks of gold in her eyes. He closed his eyes, capturing the moment forever in his memory._ _

__Something felt different. Reid, eyes still half closed, reached for the space beside him on the bed, but the sheets were cold and empty. Maeve was never there._ _

**Author's Note:**

> "Death, so called, is a thing which makes men weep, And yet a third of life is passed in sleep.” ― George Gordon Byron


End file.
